Within the past year the use of facsimile machines (faxes) has just exploded throughout the United States and the rest of the world. However, most of these fax machines are thermal type machines employing thin thermographic-type paper. The facsimile machine may or may not have facility for cutting each sequential page. Where it does not, and a fax transmission is multi-page, the machine continues to deliver a single, long sheet which must be gathered, cut into single pages and then arranged in sequential order.
Another disadvantage of these machines is that the paper itself is not stable. For example, when fax paper is folded over onto its side, there will be a transfer of an image from one sheet onto another. Still further, the thermographic paper is so thin that it curls very easily. The paper is usually provided in rolls, and accordingly has a built in "set" or curl which, after feeding through the facsimile machine reasserts itself. Thus, a typical fax as received constitutes a number of pages of paper which curl, especially at each end. Then, over a period of time each sheet curls more and more until it winds itself up as a small tube.
Further, the thermographic paper and image is not stable. A fax left in sunlight, and to a lesser extent in florescent or incandescent light will fade or darken. Accordingly, a fax sheet is not adequate as a permanent record.
Accordingly, the current practice is to photocopy the facsimile after receipt, and the photocopy is then kept as the permanent record. This current practice is also done for a second reason; the thermographic paper is very hard on roller ball type pens because of the coating on the paper. The pen tip will be abraded very quickly if any attempt is made to edit a document on the fax paper. For these two reasons, faxes are commonly photocopied to provide both working copies and permanent record copies.
However, because of the curl problem described above, faxes are extremely difficult to photocopy. They do not feed easily or at all through copier machines, and accordingly they are usually manually copied. Because of the bright light from the photocopy machine, the user needs, for visual safety reasons, to lower the cover onto the fax sheet being copied. However, because the fax sheet is so light, it tends to move out of alignment with the slightest lid movement or breeze. Just lowering the lid of the photocopier is sufficient to disturb the fax sheet placed on the glass plate. In addition, because of the curl, in many instances the corner, or more, of the fax gets folded back. Both of these problems slow down the copying and cause many mistakes in copying with the attendant need to go back and recopy some or all of the pages of a given fax transmission.
In order to remove the curl from the fax sheet, one could attempt to roll the fax up in reverse orientation. However, the material is so thin that it is very hard to remove the curl from the upper and lower edges, and often times a crease is put in the fax itself. In addition, the handling can leave marks on the fax, such as skin oil smudges and the like. An alternative would be to draw the fax over an edge to impart a reverse curl. However, it is difficult to determine the precise amount of reverse curl in order to have the fax lay completely flat. It is also very difficult to remove the curl from the upper and lower ends of the fax sheet.
While it theoretically might be possible to place the fax sheet in a heavy press in order to remove the curl from the sheet, this is entirely impractical and as a fax transmission is a "RUSH" transmission which needs to be read and acted upon promptly. The amount of time required for the fax to be placed under the press would be far too long for the nature of the document. Further, if more then one page were put in the press simultaneously, then there would be transfer from one sheet to another. Likewise, if the press were other then heavy metal or other smooth white surface, and were instead a book, then there could be transfer of the ink from the book to the fax sheet.
Accordingly, there is no simple and effective method and apparatus for managing a curled or curling fax sheet or other document while it is being reproduced for review and/or archival purposes.